Slit trenching machine with orbital motion plow

ABSTRACT

A cable plow including a ground engaging vehicle having a plow member extending into the ground where it is driven orbitally to form a slit trench. Cable laying means feed a flexible cable or the like into the slit trench as it is formed by movement of the vehicle over the ground surface.

United States aiem 1 Gagne [451 Sept. 11,1973

1 1 SLIT TRENCHING MACHINE WITH ORBITAL MOTION PLOW [76] Inventor: Archie R. Gagne, R.R. 1, Box 146A,

St. Charles, Ill. 60174 [221 Filed: I Jan. 14, I972 2] Appl. No.2 217,752

Related US. Application Data [62] Division of Ser. No. 17,261, March 6, 1970, Pat. No.

[56] References Cited UNlTED STATES PATENTS 8/1972 Ulrich et a1 172/40 1/1941 Baily 173/49 X lil- J 36 I r ll Jim-uni l,

3,183,979 5/1965 Rogers 172/40 3,326,010 6/1967 Gagne 172/40 X 3,339,641 9/1967 Carter 172/40 3,514,960 6/1970 Howard 172/40 X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 767,411 5/1934 France 172/40 2,000,368 9/1969 France 172/40 Primary ExaminerRobert E. Pulfrey Assistant ExaminerClifford D. Crowder AttorneyRichard C. Lindberg [57] ABSTRACT A cable plow including a ground engaging vehicle having a plow member extending into the ground where it is driven orbitally to form a slit trench. Cable laying means feed a flexible cable or the like into the slit trench as it is formed by movement of the vehicle over the ground surface.

2 Claims, 11 Drawing Figures I 69 24 0 Y 2 v 1| 44 l?! i l 29 r PATENTED SE?! 1 I973 SHEET 2 [IF 5 PATENTEI] SEN 1 i975 SHEEI 3 0i 5 PATENTEI] SE?! 1 I975 sum a or 5 SLIT TRENCHING MACHINE WITH ORBITAL MOTION PLOW This application is a division of application Ser. No. 17,261, filed Mar. 6, 1970, for Slit Trenching Machine and Cable Layer, now US. Pat. No. 3,647,003.

This invention represents an improvement over devices shown in Gagne U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,326,009 and 3,326,010.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved driving structure for imparting a unique orbital action to a trench-forming plow member thereby reducing the power requirements necessary to operate the plow and the power and traction requirements for the ground engaging vehicle which carries the plow member.

Another object is to provide an improved plow structure for forming a slit trench and for controlling the movement thereof.

THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a cable plow constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged vertical'sectional view taken substantially along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows, showing the manner of mounting and driving a plow of the apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken approximately along the line 3-3 of FIG. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 3 looking in the direction of the arrows, showing structure for controlling orbital movement of the plow member;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary elevational view of another form of plow member, showing the manner in which a pair of flexible cables may be laid at different elevations in a common slit trench;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary elevational view showing another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view taken substantially along the line 7-7 of FIG. 6 looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary elevational view of still another embodiment of the invention where a pair of plow members are disposed in tandem relationship and are driven from a common eccentric shaft;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged and elevational view, partly broken away, looking in the direction of the arrows 9-9 of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical elevational view of the embodiment seen in FIG. 8; and

FIG. 11 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially along the line 11-11 of FIG. 10 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a slit trenching machine and cable layer denoted generally by the reference numeral 20. It comprises a lower frame 21 mounted at one end on a pair of wheels 22, 23. Structure 24 is provided at its forward end for hitching frame 21 to a tractor or the like. An upper frame 26 is pivotally connected to lower frame 21 by a pair of pivot pins 27, 28, and is pivotally movable about pins 27', 28 between a lowered position seen in FIG. 1 and a raised position (not shown) by an hydraulie cylinder assembly 29. Cylinder 29 is connected at 31 to upper frame 26 and to lower frame 21 at 32.

Cable layer 20 is adapted to move over a ground sur- I face G, and has a plow member 33 disposed thereon to project into the ground a desired distance when the upper frame 26 is in its lowered position. Plow member 33 may be raised above the ground surface G when not in'use by actuating the hydraulic cylinder 29 to raise upper frame 26.

The latter has a prime mover 34 mounted thereon, which includes a drive pulley 36 acting through a V- belt 37 to drive a pulley 38 and an eccentric drive shaft 39. The latter serves to impart orbital movement to a vertical drive arm 41 connected in turn at its lower end rigidly to plow member 33. Orbital movement of the plow 33 is controlled in part by a link 42 pivotally connected to lower frame 21 at 43 and pivotally connected at its other end to the drive arm 41 at 44. A housing 46 protects V-belt 37, and a housing 47 may protect drive arm 41.

A flexible cable PC is conducted down through the hollow plow member 33 to extend rearwardly from the lower end thereof, automatically to be placed in a slit trench formed by cable layer 20.

Referring to FIGS. 2 t0 4, the plow member 33 and drive arm 41 are driven orbitally, and are supported in housing 47 which comprises spaced side plates 48 and 49. The latter are rigidly connected to the upper frame 26 in any convenient manner, so as to be a part thereof. Drive shaft 39 has its ends 51 supported in spaced bearings 52 and 53 secured to the side plates 48 and 49, respectively. A pair of bearing assemblies 54 and 56 are arranged in facing relationship and are secured to opposite sides of the upper end of the drive arm 41. An eccentric 57 fast with drive shaft 39 turns within bear- I ing assemblies 54 and 56 and through the upper end of I has its upper end disposed between support plates 61,

and is rigidly secured thereto by a plurality of through bolts 62.

Orbital movement of plow member 33 is accomplished in part by a pivotal link 42 which is connected to, the drive arm 41 by an eccentric shaft 44 and to housing 48, 49 by pin shaft 43. Link 42 comprises a pair of spaced arms 63 which are welded at one end to a sleeve 64. A pair of pillow bearings 66 are bolted to the ends of arms 63 remote from sleeve 64 to support shaft 44. Spaced bearing members 67 are secured to the inner walls of spaced side plates 48 and 49 extending from frame 26 and in facing relationship to support the ends of pin shaft 43. A pair of spaced hubs 68 confine therebetween drive arm 41 and support plates 61 and is keyed to shaft 44 at the eccentric portion E thereof.

Shaft 43 extends through sleeve 64 and has its ends Eccentric shaft 44 is rotated by a pair of timing belts 69, each being trained about one of a pair of sprockets 71, each of which flanks a hub 68. The timing belts 69 are trained at their upper ends about sprockets 72 fast on the shaft 39 for upper eccentric 57. The two eccentrics 57 and E are timed in their rotation by belts 69 in such a fashion that plow member 33 has the orbital motion shown. I

Pivot links 63 control the. movement of drive arm at the location of shaft 44 so as to maintain orbital movement of the lower end of plow member 33.

FIG. 1 shows a cable FC fed directly through the plow member 33 which is hollow. Cable FC is conducted down into the upper end of plow 33 and extends out of the lower end of plow past a guide 73 at the rear thereof. When plow 33 moves downwardly, its orbital movement in a path approximating a circle, guide '73 forces cable FC down into a slit trench formed by plow 33.

FIG. shows another embodiment having substantially the same components as shown in FIG. 1 except that a plow member 74 is provided with a pair of guides 76 and 77 at its upper end and a pair of guides 78 and 79 at its lower end for accommodating a pair of flexible cables FC, and FC;. The two separate cables are fed into the upper end of the hollow slot member 74 and are guided out the lower end thereof so as to be disposed approximately in a common vertical plane but with one cable disposed a predetermined distance above the other. Such an arrangement is suited for the laying of a pair of cables or the like at different heights in a common slit trench.

FIGS. 6 and 7 disclose a further embodiment of the present invention where the link 42 is eliminated and an eccentric idler shaft 81 is substituted therefor. The

latter operates as a rock arm and cooperates with the eccentric 57 in a manner as will be described. In the embodiment of FIGS. 6 and 7, a pair of pillow blocks 82 and 83 are bolted to drive arm support plates 84 and 86, and a second pair of pillow blocks 87 and 88 are bolted to the outer faces of housing side plates 48 and 49. Eccentric shaft 81 extends through drive arm 41 and hub members 82 and 83 which are fast thereto by key 93. The ends of shaft 81 are journalled in the blocks 87 and 88 and are supported by housing side 7 plates 48 and 49.

As the eccentric shaft 81 rotates, the upper end of the drive arm 41 is given an orbital motion.

FIGS. 8 to 11 show a still further embodiment which includes a pair of plow members disposed approximately in the same vertical plane, and driven from a common eccentric drive shaft 96 having end portions 97 and 98 and an eccentric intermediate portion 99. The ends 97 and 98 are journalled in bearings 101 and 102 bolted to the sidesof the housing side plates 48 and 49, see FIG. 9. A pair of counterweights 103 and 104 are fast on the shaft ends 97 and 98. A pair of drive arms 106 and 107 have their lower ends in substantially coplanar relationship. The upper ends 108 and 109 thereof are inclined out of the plane of the lower ends thereof so as to be laterally spaced, and are secured at their upper ends to eccentric followers 111 and 112. Arm 106 has a pair of support plates 113 and 114 welded thereto, and a plow blade 116 is rigidly bolted to the lower ends of support plates 113 and 114. In a like fashion, drive arm 107 has a pair of support plates 117 and 118 welded thereto, and a plow blade 119 is rigidly bolted to the lower ends of support plates 117 and 118.

As seen in FIG. 10, a link member 121 is connected with drive arm 106, and a second link member 122 is connected with drive arm 1117. Link 121 comprises a pair of arms 123 and 124 which are connected to a dead shaft 1126 supported at its ends in pillow blocks 127 and 128 bolted to the frames 48 and 49. Arms 123 and 124 are flanked by pillow blocks 129 and 131 secured thereto and shaft 132 extends through drive arm 106 and has its ends journalled in the pillow blocks 129 and 131.

In a like manner, link 122 includes a pair of arms 133 and 134 connected to a sleeve 136 journalled in blocks 137 and 138 supported in frame members 48 and 49. Bearings 139 and 141 are secured to the outer sides of arms 133 and 134, and a shaft 142 extends through drive arm 107 and has its ends journalled in the bearings 139 and 141.

As with the embodiment of FIG. 1, it is preferred that the pivotal link 121 be attached to the drive arm 106 below the midpoint between drive shaft 96 and lower end of ripper blade 116, and that pivotal link 122 be attached to drive arm 107 below midpoint between drive shaft 134 and lower end of plow member 119. This arrangement provides an orbital path of movement of both the ripper blade 116 and plow member 117 substantially in the general configuration of an ellipse having a vertical major axis. Such reduces the power requirements for the apparatus and improving the operation of the plow member in laying a cable C within the slit trench. In the embodiment of FIGS. 8 to 11, the ripper blade 116 is disposed in front of the plow member 119 and is approximately coplanar therewith, while the blade and the plow member are driven at their upper ends from the common drive shaft 96. With such an arrangement the leading blade 116 will perform a major part of the work of forming the slit trench, while the trailing plow member 119 will complete the formation of the slit trench and will function to lay the flexible cable therein.

I claim:

1. In a machine for cutting a slit trench for laying a cable therein, a frame having a plow member mounted thereon and positioned so that the lower end of the plow member will project downward into the ground for forming said trench:

a. drive means for imparting orbital movement to said plow member comprising:

i. a prime mover on said frame;

ii. a drive arm connected at one end to said plow member;

iii. a drive shaft having an eccentric mounted thereon positioned at the other'end of said drivearm and driven from said drive means;

iv. a second shaft having a second eccentric mounted thereon and mounted on said drivearm at said one end thereof;

v. motion control means connecting said drive arm to said frame for limiting movement of said drivearm;

b. endless strand means connected between said drive shaft and said second shaft for turning said eccentrics in synchronism for imparting orbital motion to said plow blade.

2. The invention of claim 1 where said motion control means includes a generally horizontal link which is pivotally mounted at each end thereof, one end of said link being pivotally mounted to said drivearm, and the other end thereof being pivoted to said frame.

' III *5 I 41 4 

1. In a machine for cutting a slit trench for laying a cable therein, a frame having a plow member mounted thereon and positioned so that the lower end of the plow member will project downward into the ground for forming said trench: a. drive means for imparting orbital movement to said plow member comprising: i. a prime mover on said frame; ii. a drive arm connected at one end to said plow member; iii. a drive shaft having an eccentric mounted thereon positioned at the other end of said drivearm and driven from said drive means; iv. a second shaft having a second eccentric mounted thereon and mounted on said drivearm at said one end thereof; v. motion control means connecting said drive arm to said frame for limiting movement of said drivearm; b. endless strand means connected between said drive shaft and said second shaft for turning said eccentrics in synchronism for imparting orbital motion to said plow blade.
 2. The invention of claim 1 where said motion control means includes a generally horizontal link which is pivotally mounted at each end thereof, one end of said link being pivotally mounted to said drivearm, and the other end thereof being pivoted to said frame. 